# Which one to try... Sandals Jamaica



## PTAaron (Sep 1, 2017)

Okay guys I just got to Sandals in Ocho Rios... and they have a selection of Cubans for sale here and the prices are not too insane $20-28 a stick. I'm looking to pick one out for tonight but I'm not sure what to pick!










I'm hoping the experts might recognize what's there...

They had a "menu" too that lists off the strength and other characteristics- but I'd trust your thoughts more.

Thanks!


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## Matt_21 (May 15, 2014)

I'd say bottom left or bottom right. But, I'm not expert.
That'd just be what I chose...based solely on this picture.


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## Semper Noctem (Feb 10, 2017)

HUCJ for this guy. That size is more in my wheel house. I don't think you can really go wrong there.


Oh, and my $0.02 - those prices are like 2.5X what they should you be... but hey, they have them.


Also, why only tubos?


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## PTAaron (Sep 1, 2017)

Yeah that is more than I would normally spend on a cigar “in real life” - but I figured I’m here and this is the only place I’d trust buying a Cuban from 
In previous years they’ve done a cigar night with bigger variety and actually had a guy rolling cigars - but I never went. This time around I’m not passing it up.


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## bpegler (Mar 30, 2006)

Are those Montecristo Edmundo tubos in the upper right corner? 

They would probably smoke well.


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## talisker10 (Nov 6, 2015)

I would try one of those cohibas


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## PTAaron (Sep 1, 2017)

I’m tempted to pick up a couple, but I don’t know if they’d make it home. 

The Edmundo description sounds good... the Cohiba sounds good too.


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## TonyBrooklyn (Jan 28, 2010)

bpegler said:


> Are those Montecristo Edmundo tubos in the upper right corner?
> 
> They would probably smoke well.


Yes i must agree and not to pricey. The question is are they real? Have not been to Jamaica in about a decade or so.
Last i recall anything i saw was fake.


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## TonyBrooklyn (Jan 28, 2010)

PTAaron said:


> Yeah that is more than I would normally spend on a cigar "in real life" - but I figured I'm here and this is the only place I'd trust buying a Cuban from
> In previous years they've done a cigar night with bigger variety and actually had a guy rolling cigars - but I never went. This time around I'm not passing it up.


I hope you found a great one enjoy the trip!:vs_cool:


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## PTAaron (Sep 1, 2017)

TonyBrooklyn said:


> Yes i must agree and not to pricey. The question is are they real? Have not been to Jamaica in about a decade or so.
> 
> Last i recall anything i saw was fake.


I wouldn't trust anything in a store around here... but my thought was that Sandals has a lot to lose by selling fakes in their shop so there is a better chance of them being real.


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## JtAv8tor (Apr 12, 2017)

Ochos Rios was the exact one I went to a few years back, went down to the local market and surprisingly at that time there wasn't a local cigar shop. There was a guy in the local flea market selling custom rolled cigars there but they were very "green"


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## PTAaron (Sep 1, 2017)

JtAv8tor said:


> Ochos Rios was the exact one I went to a few years back, went down to the local market and surprisingly at that time there wasn't a local cigar shop. There was a guy in the local flea market selling custom rolled cigars there but they were very "green"


This is our 4th trip back to this one... we're Sandals addicts. 
We usually stay up on the "hill" side, this time we're on the ocean side in the big building.


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## JtAv8tor (Apr 12, 2017)

PTAaron said:


> This is our 4th trip back to this one... we're Sandals addicts.
> We usually stay up on the "hill" side, this time we're on the ocean side in the big building.


Yep after my first trip there for a week and then signing up for the point program I made it back for years in a row, haven't been in a while and my points are getting close to expiring lol. I always book my own flights though to save some change.

Also have had great luck getting upgraded rooms every time I have gone. Last trip was a butler private lagoon type room.


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## Bird-Dog (Oct 16, 2009)

I can't tell if those are RyJ Short Churchills or Petit Churchills in the middle aisle. Both are good (in fact everything there is good), but I'm right partial to the Short Church's in tubes... much more so than non-tubos.

BTW, counterfeiting tubed cigars would be rare. Too much trouble and expense involved in faking the tubes when non-tubed cigars would be just as appealing to unsuspecting tourists.

I suspect those are all real and the hotel only stocks tubed cigars in order to mitigate humidor maintenance.


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## PTAaron (Sep 1, 2017)

Yeah, those were the R&J short Churchills. I checked the other shop at the resort which had a MUCH bigger selection...

I ended up picking up a Cohiba Robustos simply based on the flavor description in the "menu".

Tomorrow night I may go for another option.


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## PTAaron (Sep 1, 2017)

JtAv8tor said:


> Yep after my first trip there for a week and then signing up for the point program I made it back for years in a row, haven't been in a while and my points are getting close to expiring lol. I always book my own flights though to save some change.
> 
> Also have had great luck getting upgraded rooms every time I have gone. Last trip was a butler private lagoon type room.


Yeah we just hit "diamond level" before they changed the program... luckily or we'd never hit it with the new requirements. 
We get a free week after our upcoming trip to Grenada next year. Free is my kind of trip!


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## Bird-Dog (Oct 16, 2009)

PTAaron said:


> Yeah, those were the R&J short Churchills. I checked the other shop at the resort which had a MUCH bigger selection...
> 
> I ended up picking up a Cohiba Robustos simply based on the flavor description in the "menu".
> 
> Tomorrow night I may go for another option.


Can't go wrong with a CoRo. They're typically over twice the price of the same-sized RyJ Short Churchill when both are _en tubos_. Even though everything is going to be expensive there, if the CoRo's aren't double the RyJSC then they are a relative bargain... "relative" being the operative word. And if you've gotta' splurge to even get out the door... well, why not go all out!


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## PTAaron (Sep 1, 2017)

curmudgeonista said:


> Can't go wrong with a CoRo. They're typically over twice the price of the same-sized RyJ Short Churchill when both are _en tubos_. Even though everything is going to be expensive there, if the CoRo's aren't double the RyJSC then they are a relative bargain... "relative" being the operative word. And if you've gotta' splurge to even get out the door... well, why not go all out!


They were the same price here... so I guess I sort of got a bargain . LOL!


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## PTAaron (Sep 1, 2017)

...and it’s bedtime and I never had a chance to smoke it! 
Tomorrow for sure - met a couple that wants to hang out and smoke cigars so it’s gonna be tomorrow night


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## PTAaron (Sep 1, 2017)

PTAaron said:


> They were the same price here... so I guess I sort of got a bargain . LOL!


Okay... ouch... I just went back to pick up another and get one for a friend since I remembered I can legally bring them home for "personal use" and discovered that the CoRo WAS about 75% more than the RyJ short Churchill . There were beverages involved at the purchase time and I misread the labels. Looks like my friend is getting a RyJ and I'll just be sticking with the one - can't justify another one.

Due to unforeseen circumstances I will be waiting til I get back home to enjoy the CoRo... won't be enough time to sit and enjoy it here.


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## asmartbull (Aug 16, 2009)

I hope you had a great vacation. The Mrs and I are planning to head to 7 mile beach in April. Think it may be the 10 the time going.

If you brought any home, please keep them for personal consumption as the only real Cubans I have ever seen on the island were mine. There is a tremendous effort to sell fakes and they do a fantastic job in the shops, not so much on the beach. As for tubes, they have been recycling them for years.
The tell tale sign is the box code numbers are usually way off, which is why you seldom see them.......

Truth be told, some of the older Jamaican cigars used to be pretty good, but I am dating myself


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## PTAaron (Sep 1, 2017)

asmartbull said:


> I hope you had a great vacation. The Mrs and I are planning to head to 7 mile beach in April. Think it may be the 10 the time going.
> 
> If you brought any home, please keep them for personal consumption as the only real Cubans I have ever seen on the island were mine. There is a tremendous effort to sell fakes and they do a fantastic job in the shops, not so much on the beach. As for tubes, they have been recycling them for years.
> 
> ...


Thanks for the heads up... I'd like to think that Sandals would be above selling fakes in their resort shop - but we'll see once I get a chance to light one up.
I was thinking with the change in the rules about bringing them home would have opened the door for legit Cubans. I didn't remember seeing the cases full of boxes at the airport Duty Free in last years either.


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## asmartbull (Aug 16, 2009)

PTAaron said:


> Thanks for the heads up... I'd like to think that Sandals would be above selling fakes in their resort shop - but we'll see once I get a chance to light one up.
> I was thinking with the change in the rules about bringing them home would have opened the door for legit Cubans. I didn't remember seeing the cases full of boxes at the airport Duty Free in last years either.


Do not trust island hotels especially in Jamaica, Dominican Republic, ect.....
I was in a high end Hotel in the DR that was also selling fake Dominican cigars!
When confronted I was told laws on the island dictated all cigars were to be exported and the get real DR'S on the shelf had to be reimported and taxes made them twice as much as could be purchased in the US.......trust yourself and bring your own


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